New Jersey, the Garden State, has several top-notch boarding schools. Located in Princeton, The Hun School is a boarding and day school for grades 6-12 (the boarding school is for the high school). The school was founded in 1914 by John Gale Hun, a math professor from Princeton, to prepare students to enter universities, and, today, its students matriculate at some of the best universities in the country. Thirty-four percent of its students today represent diversity, and 32% of its students receive financial aid. The school's mission is, in its own words, "The Hun School provides a diverse community that places a high value on a creative and rigorous traditional college preparatory curriculum in a structured environment; develops character, community and values; meets the students' differing talents, interests and academic needs through a supportive staff in a variety of programs; and encourages students to widen their horizons, gain an appreciation for and an excitement about learning and achieve their full potential." The school has an academic learning skills program for 25 students with learning disabilities. These students take mainstream courses while receiving individualized support.
Also a top boarding school, Peddie School, located eight miles from Princeton in Hightstown, is a co-ed 9-12 school that prepares students to matriculate at selective colleges. Forty-percent of its students receive financial aid each year, totaling $5 million. The school has an endowment of approximately $278 million (as of June 2011). The school's 280-acre campus lies on Lake Peddie. The school's mission is as follows: "The Peddie community commits itself to the intellectual, social, and moral growth of our students. Remarkable for the range of their talents, abilities, interests, and backgrounds, our students distinguish themselves through their excitement, curiosity, and character. They help make Peddie an open, dynamic community where a passion for learning thrives.
"With respect, enthusiasm, humor, and patience, we challenge our students to reach for levels of achievement they have not attempted before and encourage them to measure the success of their efforts by the progress they make. Ultimately, we seek not only to provide our students with vigorous preparation for college, but also to inspire them to strive for the highest quality of citizenship."
Five miles from Princeton, Lawrenceville is a top 9-12, coed boarding and day school that uses oval-shaped Harkness tables to facilitate discussion. Lawrenceville's students are also grouped into a house system to live in close communities with other students and their housemaster. Founded in 1810, Lawrenceville has an enrollment of 810 students, about 550 of whom are boarding students and about 260 of whom are day students. Its students come equally from public and private middle schools, and the school also offers a postgraduate year for students who need an additional year of preparation after 12th grade before attending college. Its mission is, in the school's words, "to inspire and educate promising young people from diverse backgrounds for responsible leadership, personal fulfillment and enthusiastic participation in the world. Through our unique House system, collaborative Harkness approach to teaching and learning, close mentoring relationships, and extensive co-curricular opportunities, we help students to develop high standards of character and scholarship, a passion for learning, an appreciation for diversity, a global perspective, and strong commitments to personal, community, and environmental responsibility." The 700-acre campus includes 18 dormitories, an arts center with an 865-person theater, and an athletic center with an indoor ice hockey rink, 10 squash courts, a ropes course, and a 9-hole golf course. i.Many of its graduates attend Princeton, which is nearby, and other top-flight colleges.
Other boarding schools in New Jersey have different missions. American Boychoir School in Princeton is a residential choir school for students in grades 4-8. The school provides a great deal of financial aid to make it possible for boys from around the country to attend the school. Finally, Purnell is a school for girls in grades 9-12. Based in Pottersville, the school educates girls who have yet to reach their full potential, and 100% of its graduates attend college.
